Johnson & Johnson Develops Film Series with TNT

NEW YORK — Turner Network Television and Johnson & Johnson have agreed to collaborate on an original film series, TNT executives announced yesterday at the cable company’s upfront presentation.

The film series, Johnson & Johnson Spotlight Presentations, was developed with Interpublic Group of Cos. MAGNA Global Entertainment and its sister media shop Universal McCann. MAGNA Global Entertainment, formerly known as Universal McCann Entertainment Group, is a division of MAGNA Global USA, IPG’s media negotiating apparatus.

The Spotlight Presentation series will include a minimum of two projects a year and will premiere in July with a film called “Door to Door,” starring William H. Macy and Helen Mirren. The film’s tone is intended to connect with and reinforce “Johnson & Johnson’s family-friendly focus,” said Linda Yaccarino, svp for Turner Entertainment Group sales.

The upfront presentation also featured the heralding of Drew Carey and Seinfeld reruns to TBS Superstation starting this summer. Jerry Seinfeld performed a special stand-up act, rhetorically asking, “Why is this show [Seinfeld] still around? I have an answer: TV sucks,” he said to much laughter and applause from the media professionals in the audience.